where best friends are made
by Conflate
Summary: In which Kise works at Build-A-Bear and Aomine goes through quite the process to win his heart.


It normally takes a week's worth of motivation for Aomine to even _consider_ getting out of his house and venturing into the city. That's why, being the genius she is, Momoi always schedules their weekly outings on Saturdays, giving him just enough time to laze around and prepare for the next weekend adventure.

On one particular Saturday, they had decided to visit Ikebukuro, Momoi having wanted to go to Sunshine City to check out the grand opening of some clothing store. Aomine was being dragged by the cuff of his jacket, heels practically digging into the tiled floor as he desperately wanted to go back home and crawl in bed. He was he was grunting and groaning at his petite best friend, trying to get her to release him so that he could at least check out the nearest shoe store. However, when he forcibly pulled his arm from her grasp, he stumbled to the side and gracelessly fell into a rather firm figure.

Aomine heard a squeak from the other and when he automatically reached out to grab hold of a pair of broad shoulders, he felt his heart skip a beat. Quickly, he pulled his hands away from a tall male who had nearly the same height and build as him. Though, the other male had a paler complexion, with honey brown eyes and breathtaking golden hair.

The other male apologized quickly, stating that he was in a hurry and that he hadn't been looking where he was going. Aomine merely shook his head, silently stating that it was alright; the smile he received in response was enough to cause his heart to stop altogether. There was also something strange about the other's apparel, but Aomine couldn't seem to figure it out. He was too busy eying the other's blossoming face and smiling lips. It wasn't until he watched as the male finally took a step back and turned, waltzing into the store beside them that it clicked.

He was wearing a blue apron embellished with a teddy bear's face…

Aomine had fallen head over heels for a Build-A-Bear Workshop employee.

* * *

"I can't believe I'm doing this," Aomine says as he paces back and forth, Kuroko's and Kagami's eyes on him as he shoves his fists in his pockets.

"_I_ can't believe you're doing this," Kagami chimes in, holding up his hands in defense when Aomine shoots him a glare. "Hey, it's the truth."

Aomine's heart is hammering hard in his chest as he stands before the store that had been plaguing his mind for the past few days. Children are running in and out, some clutching small home-shaped boxes containing their lovable creations. Aomine actually feels… _Nervous_? Nauseous? Scared?

He's fearing rejection as he steps foot into the store, eyes narrowing as a hoard of mothers eye him down like he's going to stride right over and steal their purses. Some even have the audacity to pull their children from the store completely. Rolling his eyes, he steps further in, removing his hands from his pockets as if by some miracle, that alone will make him appear less intimidating.

The wailing of tiny voices rings in his ears as he approaches the wall of unstuffed animals. He reaches into one of the bins, not really paying attention to what he's picking up, and as he turns it over in his hands (what even is it; a dog?) he can't help but think it looks like road kill.

Sighing, he sets the deformed looking creature back down before raising his gaze to inspect the fully stuffed animals resting above the bins. He contemplates just picking one up and buying it like that, but when he hears a melodious laugh come from the stuffing station, and a flash of gold grasps his attention out of his peripheral, he remembers why he's there to begin with.

So, he hones in on the animals, focusing on which one will be the best pick. Eventually, after taking his time digging through the bins to find the perfect one, Aomine settles on a golden coated bear. It's face is squished in from not being stuffed, and Aomine stands there thinking it looks ridiculous. He's five seconds from putting it down and chickening out when he feels a presence looming behind him. Swallowing hard, he glances over his shoulder, brows pinched in frustration as he comes face to face with the disgustingly attractive blond that had caught his attention that weekend.

"Need any help?" he asks, voice sweet and as charming as his pretty face. It makes Aomine's stomach churn uncomfortably, and he swears he sees Kagami snickering in the entrance while Kuroko smacks his arm.

In response, Aomine merely shakes his head, seemingly not having built up the nerve to speak since bumping into the blond. Said blond smiles at him, and tells him to let him know if he needs anything before he turns and heads back towards the stuffing station where children are beginning to line up. Aomine sighs as he gets in line as well, completely towering over all the other's in the store. A few curious children stare up at him with gaping mouths and wide eyes, like he's some spectacle in the circus. He feels like a tall-ass weed in the middle of a shitton of beansprouts. It's irritating, but he tries not to show it.

The wait seems endless, and when it's finally Aomine's turn to have his bear stuffed, the male he had been anticipating tending to him is busy with another child. So, he steps aside and allows one of the kids waiting behind him to cut in front. He'll wait as long as he needs until the blond male sitting before a small girl, hunched over slightly so he can look her in the eye, is available.

As he waits, he notices the sound station a few feet away. One of the options jumps out immediately: the personalized Build-A-Sound message. With haste, steps in front of a few kids and startles the worker managing the front of the line by roughly grasping her arm. She looks taken aback as he asks her how "that shit" works, and he earns a stern look in response along with a muttered "be mindful of the children." Aomine rolls his eyes at that, side glaring a child that takes a step back, causing the entire line to shift like Aomine's the negative end of a magnet.

She explains to him that all he has to do is record what he wants to say and that they can embed it into the bear. He nods his head, shifting his weight from one foot to another before stating that he'd like to record something. The worker nods curtly herself, and retrieves what looks like some complicated device; it's something that seems far out of Aomine's mental capacity. She shows him how to work it, and suddenly Aomine feels stupid for finding it difficult. It's literally _too easy_.

He tries being discrete, saying it's a surprise for someone and that he doesn't want anyone hearing the message until it's time for it to be heard. She gives another nod before turning back to the line of kids, instantly growing a smile as she makes her way down the line to keep everything going smooth.

After Aomine records his message, chest aching painfully as he does so, he requests more assistance in order to get the device in his bear. Finally, he rejoins the line and waits.

Aomine can't help but feel his heart warming up as he watches the blond at work. He's smiling and laughing, making the child blush and hide behind her now sewn up pink plush puppy. An equally flustered mother takes her child by the hand and leads her away, the blond waving as she departs before looking back over, his golden orbs landing on Aomine.

It's quick, the way heat bursts from Aomine's chest and stings his toes; the tips of his ears are on fire as well, and his legs feel like they're going to cave beneath him as he approaches the seated male.

The blond holds his hands out expectedly and Aomine drops the flattened, road kill-looking excuse for a teddy bear into his palms. From the close proximity, he can see the other's nametag and reads that his name is Kise…

He doesn't have long to dwell on anything, because before he knows it Kise is talking to him; or rather, he's asking questions.

"So, do we have a boy, a girl, or still deciding?" Kise inquires as he works on opening up the hole in the animal's back, preparing to push it over the pipe.

Aomine shrugs, not having put that much thought into it thus far. Kise gives him a smile and Aomine feels his heart constricting, ears burning hotter as he curses himself. Kagami and Kuroko are probably having a field day right about now.

"Do you want him or her to be nice and soft and cuddly or hard and firm?" Aomine's asked and giving Kise a once over, his decision is made fairly quickly.

"Soft and cuddly, definitely."

With another smile, and a nod of confirmation, Kise instructs Aomine to step on the pedal as he works on filling the limbs of the bear.

"So," Kise starts, eyes never leaving his work in progress, focusing on stuffing the last arm before the remainder of the body, "Is this for your girlfriend?"

Heart stopping altogether, Aomine's foot slides off the pedal as Kise tells him to stop for a moment. His brows furrow and relax, furrowing again and this time staying like that. He's… _frustrated_.

"It's something like that," he admits, and _fuck_ if this kid smiles at him one more time like that he doesn't know if he'll be able to make it. "More like for someone I'm hoping to ask out."

"How sweet. I'm sure you'll win them over," Kise utters under his breath before removing the bear from the pipe and holding it out for Aomine to take. "Here. Tell me if it feels alright."

Doing as he's told, Aomine takes the bear and holds it at arm's length before cautiously bringing it close to his chest (he'd witnessed a child doing it prior to his turn). It feels perfect, or as Aomine puts it: "It's alright."

"Great! Now, I'll take it from you while you pick out a heart. I could feel the wiring in it, did you record something yourself or are you buying one of the premade sounds?"

_Nosy_, Aomine thinks as he picks up a flimsy stuffed heart from the collection, staring down at how small it looks in his palm. "I made one. It's a secret though, so don't you dare press it."

Hands up defensively, Kise chuckles and surrenders. "Alright, alright. My bad."

What comes next, Aomine had for some reason blocked from his mind. Probably due to how utterly _embarrassing_ he's going to look doing it. As Kise tells him to rub his bear's heart over various places on his body for his bear to gain _intelligence, a sense of humor, a big and healthy appetite_, he feels himself dying a little inside. However, it's when he's instructed to hop in a circle that he wants to wipe the impish smiles straight from Kise's face. He does as he's told, loathing himself for having developed a disgusting puppy crush on this guy, and when he faces the entrance briefly, he spots Kagami squatting and holding his stomach, obviously laughing his head off, all while Kuroko is recording him.

He can feel steam coming from his ears as he stops hopping and sneers before turning back to Kise, face pinched in anger; he automatically hates (secretly loves) how into his job, Kise gets. Kise's smiling himself, biting his lower lip and trying not to laugh as his gaze shoots to the pair of Aomine-proclaimed "bastards" before looking back at the male before him.

"Alright, one last thing," he begins, sitting up a little straighter and looking Aomine dead in the eye. "I want you to close your eyes," he closes his own as if to demonstrate, "and hold it to your heart and make a big wish. It could be anything, but something special for your bear. When you're done give it a kiss and put it inside. I'll let you go after that. It looks like you have business to attend to over there."

Thinking for a moment, Aomine decides on what to wish for. _What exactly does he need to wish for_? Then it hits him. Squeezing his eyes shut and wishing with all his might, he hopes that all of this – this _ridiculousness_ – pays off. Once he's done he reaches out and drops the heart inside his bear, watching as Kise sews it up and hands it over.

* * *

Aomine has never felt intimidated before in his life… That is, until he stands before the wall length display of clothes, containing everything from cutesy pajamas, to formal kimonos. He walks the length of the wall, taking it all in, and trying to decide what exactly it is he's looking for. After a good ten minutes of just _looking_ he finally locks in on a simple basketball costume, complete with a plush basketball. He plucks it from the shelf, leaning over a small child in the process and biting his tongue as she scampers off towards her mother.

Finally – _finally_, he sinks into one of the cushioned stools lined up in front of the row of computers. _It's almost over… Almost_, he tells himself as he works on naming his bear. Having picked out an outfit, he decides on making it a male. A few names come to mind, ranging from _idiot_ to _dumbass_, but Haru is what sticks. It feels fitting, given the bear's golden coat and just how warm it looked surrounded by the soft glow emitting from the blond stuffing it.

He finishes the rest of the certificate before heading towards the front counter where he makes his purchase. As he watches the price rise higher and higher, he feels like turning and booking it. He still can't believe he's about to go through with this, about to _finish_ this. The cashier is about to box up his bear, but he stops her, saying it won't be needing the box for much longer (hopefully). She gives him a quizzical look before he snatches his belongings and turning to dress up the bear – _Haru._

His gaze rises towards the entrance once more, and he sees Kagami skipping in circles, clearly mocking his stuffing ceremony from a few minutes prior. Discretely, Aomine tries flipping the two of them off, but it only causes Kagami to laugh harder.

A few minutes pass, and Aomine's still struggling with the uniform top; he can't even get the damn thing off the hanger. Close to giving up, he feels a familiar looming presence surrounding him again, and sure enough, when he looks over his shoulder, there stands Kise, bright and sunny and oh too happy.

"Need help yet?" Kise asks, clearly biting the inside of his cheek from how it caves in.

Aomine wants to say no, but the nodding of his head says otherwise. When Kise explains that there are Velcro stickers holding the clothes together, Aomine wishes that he had stayed silent. Instead, he watches as Kise's fingers work on tugging the shirt onto Haru, pulling the shorts on once he's done.

"Here you go!" Kise coos as he holds Aomine's bear back out.

_This is it_, Aomine swallows over the lump in his throat. His palms feel clammy and his heart is beating faster than normal. He's never this nervous – never – but with the way those big golden eyes are staring into his very soul, impish smile curled onto pink, adorable lips… He's downright _petrified__._

"Actually, can you check to see if the sound is working," he requests, shifting his weight to his heels as he shoves his fists deep in his pockets.

"I thought it was a surprise," Kise urges, raising a brow.

"It was," Aomine admits, averting his gaze in order not to look at those puppy dog eyes staring him down.

Curious, Kise draws the bear back towards him and presses one of its paws. When it speaks, he nearly drops the plush as _Will you go on a date with me?_ sounds from its chest.

* * *

When Aomine finally walks out of the store, certificate folded in his palm, he peers around the corner and finds both Kagami and Kuroko sitting on a nearby bench, tossing what appears to be miniscule pieces of crumpled up paper into a trash can. As he approaches them, the tips of his ears burning, Kagami hops up with a snicker. He pirouettes the remainder of the distance, still obviously mocking Aomine from earlier.

Aomine shows no shame as he reaches out and wraps his arm tight around Kagami's neck, pulling him into a headlock and grinding his fist into the top of Kagami's head. Kuroko remains calm as he watches the event unfold before him, followed by Kagami falling back on his ass, face red with rage.

"Kagami-kun," Kuroko hums softly, watching as Kagami's ears perk up much like those of his dog, Nigou, when he's anticipating a walk.

Kagami straightens up and dusts himself off before reclaiming his seat.

"So, how'd it go?" he asks, smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "You know, after all that hilarious dancing and shit."

Aomine has it in him to smack Kagami across the face, but the now crumpled piece of paper in his hands keeps him from doing so. Instead, he sneers and unfolds it, smoothing it out a little in order to hand it over to the pair of curious teens seated before him. Kagami snatches it and looks it over. At first, he sees nothing, but then when his eyes trail to the top corner of the page, he sees a phone number written in pink pen.

The smirk that had been threatening to curl onto his lips finally shows as he tosses the piece of paper back at Aomine, the latter jolting forward in an effort to catch it before it flutters to the ground.

"Nice going, man. All that ridiculous shit paid off," Kagami congratulates him before standing up and turning on his heel. "I say we celebrate with ice cream. Mainly because I want to steal your phone and text this pretty boy for you. Not like you'll have the courage to make it _that_ far."

Appalled, Aomine lunges forward in an effort to grab Kagami's collar, but Kagami is too fast. Aomine tumbles to the ground before the bench, palms flat against the floor as steam pours from his ears.

"I just went through all that bullshit. I think the least I can do is text him…"

* * *

"What do you have there, Kise?" one of the blond's coworkers asks him as he mindlessly circles the store, tidying something up here, straightening something on the wall there.

There's a giddy grin displayed on his pink lips as he peers down at the stuffed bear in his arms; his heart flutters and his stomach flips every time he looks at it.

"It was a gift," he responds, cheeks starting to hurt from how hard he's smiling. A light, rosy blush begins rising on his skin, spanning from his shoulders all the way to the tips of his ears, as he returns to what he was doing, successfully tuning out the giggles and coos from the remainder of the staff.

_You definitely won._


End file.
